Mind your business, yes, but not when one is in trouble!

The day was closing in. My friend and I were walking to our cars after an evening of window shopping. We spot a young couple standing outside this popular spa. From the look of things they seemed like employees, given how they were dressed. The girl was crying out loud while the boy (who seemed like a very good friend) comforted her. Many people looked at the two coldly and walked on unbothered. My friend then suggested that we talk to them and see if we can help. For starters, both looked so young and disturbed. The uncontrollable tears from the girl’s face raised concern. We reached out but none of them were willing to talk. All we could offer were hugs and words of comfort.
In another incident, while driving back home, along Kamwokya, I saw a man seemingly in his mid 40s faint right by the road side. It was such a scary sight that I stopped at a distance and started to wonder how this person could be helped. Despite the will to help, the “how” was a puzzle. One by one, pedestrians walked past him Many looked at him and continued with their business. Boda boda cyclists stopped in shock, as if to help and then sped off without looking twice, while cars drove by. It was so painful to see somebody suffer, with no one offering a helping hand. Efforts to ask all these people to help this man fell on deaf ears and what was left was to inform the nearest police personnel. Fortunately they saved the day.
So one wonders, is this what has become of our society? What happened to the days when one man’s need became everyone’s need? The days where everyone was willing to help when they saw another in trouble? Today a dead man will attract more attention than a man struggling for his life. A thief will call for more attention than a stranded child. It is like misery fetches more attention than joy. What an absurd story!
Looking at all these people’s reaction in the two situations goes to show the reality that faces our society. Misery, chaos, crime have taken centre stage at the expense of peace and harmony. Oh! Cry our beloved society!